454 Mr. B. Alexander — An Ornitholoyical 



moved and walked towards it. The bird got up and ran. It 

 had been sitting in a slight depression in the muddy sand. 

 This accounts for their breast-feathers becoming so stained. 

 These bird-; seem to revel in the heat. When other birds 

 have left for the shade these Plovers keep to the hot sand- 

 banks 12 o'clock, eggs covered. 



" Oct. 14. 8 A.M., eggs covered up, as usual. Mid-day, 

 ditto. About 3.a0, the two birds observed for the first time 

 close to the nest; a Gull sweeping overhead was probably 

 the reason. 



" Oct. 15. Before leaving, about 11 o'clock, I went to look 

 for the last tnue at the nest. The eggs were covered up. 

 .... Broke one of them; it was well incubated. 



" Description of the eggs. — Ground-colour pale huffish 

 brown, minutely spotted and streaked all over with reddish 

 brown, with faint underlying markings of a purplish colour. 

 Average measurements 1*015 x "088 inch." 



249. OXYECHUS TRICOLLARIS (Vicill.) . 



This elegant little Plover is by no means common on the 

 Zambesi, not being found beyond Zumbo. On August 17, 

 at Mesanangue, we found a nest on sand between rocks close 

 to the water. It contained three young ones in down. The 

 parents kept flying round them, uttering the whole time 

 the shrill "wick, wick" note of the Sanderling, Towards 

 evening a plaintive whistle is often resorted to. At the 

 beginning of December the young were abroad, frequenting 

 stagnant pools off the river in small parties. 



^(/m/^ (Aug. 3, 1898). Iris light lemon-yellow; eyelids 

 coral-red ; bill flesh-colour at base, black at fore part ; legs 

 and feet flesh-colour. 



In the immature bird the feathers of the upper parts are 

 edged with huffish white, while the collars on the nape and 

 upper mantle are absent. The iris is black. 



250. TOTANUS CANESCENS (Gm.). 



An adult male in winter plumage obtained near Tete, 

 Aug. 18, 1898. 



